Bonnie Owens

• Name — Bonnie Owens • Birth Name — Bonnie Campbell • Born — 1 October 1929 • Birthplace — Blanchard, Oklahoma, U.S. • Died — 24 April 2006 • Instrument — Vocals, guitar • Genre — Country • Occupation — Singer-songwriter • Years Active — 1949–1981 • Label — Tally Capitol

She was born Bonnie Campbell in Blanchard, Oklahoma, United States. She met Buck Owens when she was 15. They played in a band in Mesa, Arizona, and married in 1948. They were the parents of musician Buddy Alan. They moved to Bakersfield, California, by 1951 and started music careers. They divorced in 1953. Bonnie Owens's first recording was "A Dear John Letter", a duet with Fuzzy Owen on Mar-Vel Records (#MV-102) in 1953. The B-side contained the song "Wonderful World". Owens recorded on numerous labels during the 1950s and early 1960s, including Merle Haggard’s and Fuzzy Owen's own Tally label, all of which were singles. Her first album titled Don't Take Advantage of Me came in 1965 on Capitol Records # ST-2403. Owens had hits on the country chart in the early 1960s with the songs "Why Don't Daddy Live Here Anymore?" and "Don't Take Advantage of Me". In 1965, Haggard and Owens recorded the song "Just Between the Two of Us", a duet, and probably Owens's best known hit. It is also the title song to their 1966 duet album on Capitol Records (#ST-2453), that was recorded with The Strangers. Bonnie Owens was named Female Vocalist of the Year in 1965 by the Academy of Country Music. She and Haggard married the same year. From this point, Owens dedicated her time to Haggard's children and his career, touring with Merle's band The Strangers as a backup vocalist. Owens and Haggard divorced in 1978; after a brief hiatus, she continued touring with him. On April 24, 2006, Owens died at the age of 76, in hospice for Alzheimer's disease.

• Year — Album — US Country • 1965 — Don't Take Advantage of Me — 15 • 1966 — Just Between the Two of Us (with Merle Haggard and The Strangers) — 4 • 1967 — All of Me Belongs to You (with The Strangers) — 35 • 1968 — Somewhere Between (with The Strangers) — 34 • 1969 — Hi-Fi to Cry By • 1969 — Lead Me On (with The Strangers) • 1970 — Mother's Favorite Hymns • 1999 — The Best of Bonnie Owens

• Year — Title — US Country — Album • 1963 — "Why Don't Daddy Live Here Anymore" — 25 — Don't Take Advantage of Me • 1964 — "Don't Take Advantage of Me" — 27 • "Just Between the Two of Us" (w/ Merle Haggard) — 28 — Just Between the Two of Us • 1965 — "Number One Heel" — 41 — Don't Take Advantage of Me • 1966 — "Consider the Children" (with The Strangers) — 69 — All of Me Belongs to You • 1969 — "Lead Me On" (with The Strangers) — 68 — Lead Me On